125 réponses à ce sujet

[Orumon]

JohnShepard12 wrote...

Didn't read it but I have no doubt that it's much better than what we have now and would satisfy more fans than clinging to artistic integrity would.

Trust me dude, you're missing out when you don't read it.

[Spectre Impersonator]

Orumon wrote...

JohnShepard12 wrote...

Didn't read it but I have no doubt that it's much better than what we have now and would satisfy more fans than clinging to artistic integrity would.

Trust me dude, you're missing out when you don't read it.

well I know Bioware won't go with it anyway, since they didn't think of it first so what's the point?

[a.m.p]

@Orumon
Considering we have zero reliable information about the starchild at this point we're free to write absolutely anything.
I like to think that the brat is an AI that has his hardware somewhere on the citadel, that's also the main reaper communication hub, and destroying that hardware would kill him and cripple reaper communications.
If however we bring up the forgotten fact that the citadel is a huge mass relay, I'm sure there are ways to destroy it arrival-style. I mean, it's in unstable orbit above a planet and obviously has some thrusters on it.
And then there's the fogotten fact that it's the relay control hub, so keeping it and actually using it against reapers the same way they usually use it against organics is my personal favourite scenario.

[Noelemahc]

Joker is now a sappy sad wall of text about Tiptree, the wonders of euthanasia and second chances. THIS HURTS YOU.

Just curious, what WOULD happen when the citadel was destroyed? Would the reapers die with their master, or would they suddenly go crazy as every being who made them up rebelled against what was done to them without the evil AI cracking the whip?

We don't know. That's the beauty of it. And the horror of the plot hole the size of Andromeda that BioWare left unattended. I'll be trying to cover it when I get to writing the Fourth Ending I proposed in the OP, as amp aptly put it:

For that there is the fourth option: "Dear ancient AI wannabe god. Go. To. Hell."

[a.m.p]

Noelemahc wrote...

THIS HURTS YOU.

Argh. True.
Nitpick: If I was Shepard I probably would wait to tell that news in person, not via holocall, but I'm not Shepard.
Still, can't she at least have the option to tell the crowd to let them have some privacy for this?

[Noelemahc]

Still, can't she at least have the option to tell the crowd to let them have some privacy for this?

Bah, I knew I forgot something! The whole scene was adapted for the holocall as best I could because I originally wrote it for the Fourth Ending (actually, it started with that talk regardless of your gender or Joker-preference), with EDI chiming in every now and then, guess it needs more polishing >_< Well, now I know what I'm doing after work today.

[Orumon]

JohnShepard12 wrote...

Orumon wrote...

JohnShepard12 wrote...

Didn't read it but I have no doubt that it's much better than what we have now and would satisfy more fans than clinging to artistic integrity would.

Trust me dude, you're missing out when you don't read it.

well I know Bioware won't go with it anyway, since they didn't think of it first so what's the point?

Why spoil crap you were force fed by tasting steak afterwards?

Actually, that's an incomplete analogy, it's more that you've been force fed a full meal of crap and now someone gives you a single rasher of well prepared crispy bacon.

Just one.

[miraclemight]

It was a very interesting read, OP.

[Noelemahc]

Just a heads-up: I'm not dead, just swamped with work to actually write anything longer than a post in one of the ending-discussion threads.

The next one on the line is Thane, then it's on to Liara maybe. In the interim I'm trying to write the "what happened to the races" epilogue and figuring out how to differentiate the Hackett-speech for when Shep's death in relation to the colour Shep chose in the end.

All that just to stall for time so I can finish my FemShep/Kaidan playthrough to write the bit that a.m.p. is waiting on =P

EDIT: So, I'm working, and listening to the Dead Space soundtrack. DS2, if you recall, had a Starchild equivalent of a supranatural force using a memory of the protagonist as a proxy to convince him to help it. Not out of the left field at all (as it began in DS1, and was only slightly retconned in DS2 in a way that most people didn't notice), and the best part of it?

Isaac, when confronting said apparition at the end of DS2 says the most glorious line in forever.

"F*** YOU, AND F*** YOUR MARKER!" (nearly forgot, this will spoil you the DS2 ending and an important DS1 plot twist)

Now read that in Jennifer Hale's or Mark Meer's voice, replacing "Marker" with "Citadel". You know you want to.

Modifié par Noelemahc, 01 mai 2012 - 04:28 .

[a.m.p]

Noelemahc wrote...
"F*** YOU, AND F*** YOUR MARKER!"

<3
The line and what happens right after it.
Just love it.
Now I have to play that game too, don't I?

[Noelemahc]

You might have to, yes, even though I've just effectively spoiled you the ending. Be forewarned, it's scary as all hells. It's also effectively the ME2 Dead Reaper level stretched out across two games with varying scenery. Or, rather, the ME2 Dead Reaper level was obviously a Dead Space tribute with its level design and all that jazz.

[Catroi]

[a.m.p]

Noelemahc wrote...

You might have to, yes, even though I've just effectively spoiled you the ending. Be forewarned, it's scary as all hells.

I made it through Ravenholm. I'll be fine.

Can anyone tell me where that "Shepard was reaper" thing comes from? I feel like I'm missing crucial context that makes it unbearably hilarious.

[Catroi]

a.m.p wrote...

Noelemahc wrote...

You might have to, yes, even though I've just effectively spoiled you the ending. Be forewarned, it's scary as all hells.

I made it through Ravenholm. I'll be fine.

Can anyone tell me where that "Shepard was reaper" thing comes from? I feel like I'm missing crucial context that makes it unbearably hilarious.

from here knowyourmeme.com/memes/doom-repercussions-of-evil-you-are-the-demons

[Noelemahc]

I made it through Ravenholm. I'll be fine.

It's scarier, at least it was for me. It's basically System Shock with a malevolent nonspecific supernatural entity in place of a malevolent self-proclaimed-deity AI, with a few choice additions from The Thing and Event Horizon. The game is also near-flawless in everything it does, from a non-standard GUI which is super effective, to the obscene amount of perfectly optional fluff, to the totally unexpected tie-in rail shooter game for the Wii and PS3 that is the best rail shooter I have played in decades (and which also does "indoctrination theory" better than any ME3 fan could have outlined it, as you play an unknowing indoctrinee in its prologue). The second game also had multiplayer "tacked on" which was rather fun until the short map selection made it too repetitive, and did not at all detract from the singleplayer. Believable, non-Hollywood-standard characters with relatable problems and functioning common sense... Basically, it's a nerd's dream of a game. Too bad it's "only" a Cosmic Horror TPS, no more no less.

But I digress. My obscene workload has been dealt with, Thane and Liara are all mapped out, dialogue-direction-wise, I've just gotta finish writing them down out of my head. I hope most of you HAVE watched the Director's Cut of Terminator 2...

[a.m.p]

Okay, okay, I'm convinced. I'll play it.

I'm curious. With the level of detail you're putting into this, will the 'Samara Y U no LI?' crowd get their own little scene too?

[Noelemahc]

Oh, I'm well aware of the mounting costs, I've had to co-ordinate voicework for several fanmade games that failed to get beyond early beta precisely because people couldn't correlate expenses, manpower and effort required to achieve the Napoleonic goals they have set out to do.

That's why it's constructed to be iterative. In the barest of bare minimums that does not descend into fan ******, Shepard just turns and leaves without pontificating, and the entire story is told silently -- as he walks out on the Catalyst, as it follows him, as he carries out Anderson, as Hackett and Shepard talk via comms, and the United Fleet blows the Citadel, how it staggers the Reapers, and how they are vanquished, and then the bit with the flythrough of the Solar System, and that's it. Or, for the expansion of canonical endings, recycling Harbinger's lines from ME2, and then the silentized version of Shepard's sendoff, which only really requires a couple new models and that's that, everything else is animation and proper camerawork coupled with smart asset recycling.
Maybe throw in some epilogue slides, if I ever finish writing them, although doing a better job than the one in the big Epilogue Slide thread, with all the fancy Flash stuff, is probably impossible.

It's just that along the way, I've thought - "hey, why NOT indulge in the fan ****** while I'm still here? if it can bring me catharsis, why not share it?" Yes, I'm selfish, I'm not a very nice person overall, actually, but it was worth a try =)

I will reform the thread to carry the iterations better once I'm done with the resolutions, I promise.

With the level of detail you're putting into this, will the 'Samara Y U no LI?' crowd get their own little scene too?

I actually hadn't considered her. After all, she's thirty-odd times Shepard's age, she repeatedly stated that she's strongly against these things, and her Code probably doesn't look kindly on anything other than casual sex lightly. Although a resolution to the tension a-la Joker might be feasible? I'll give it a whirl in the intermediary downtimes =)

[Noelemahc]

Raw Thane resolution added. I initially thought of doing a full-scale Terminator 2 reference, but then decided that a Farscape-style mindromp would work better. It's up to you to judge whether John Crichton's hallucinations are better than Sarah Connor's. Also up to you to decide whether it was real or not. Also up to you to-- ah, forget it.

Liara's next, re-editing Joker in the meantime.

[a.m.p]

Read Thane. Good. Really, really good and the right way to do speculations from everyone.

Traditional nitpicks:
1) How did Shepard conclude that he's praying for Anderson?
2) Does the save file even record what you told Ashley? Or how exactly Saren died for that matter?

[Noelemahc]

Glad you liked it. I was actually afraid I went a little overboard with the fake religious doctrine =)

I will expand it just a bit later today, forgot to address the Kolyat resolution and bring up Irikah. Because if we're doing the "Everyone's Jesus in Purgatory" route, might as well go all-out.

How did Shepard conclude that he's praying for Anderson?

It's a minor running gag (of only two instances, just like the Ashley exchanges that go "insults Shepard" - "Shepard repeats insult in a questioning tone" - "Ashley adds "sir" or "ma'am"", except this one BOOKENDS Thane's presence in Shepard's life) that Shepard always guesses wrong who Thane is praying to. This was a lucky guess, because Shep deserves one. I guess I should underscore that it's a guess, huh?

2) Does the save file even record what you told Ashley? Or how exactly Saren died for that matter?

I will have to check, actually, but I think it does, because it affects one teensy dialogue with her if you romanced her (which means that FemSheps that didn't keep her alive may not have had that talk with her at all, so it will default to atheism, I think, or we'll add a third option which mixes the theories Shepard has).

As for Saren, it might be past the point-of-no-record, just like who becomes the human Councillor. If so, I am a very sad panda =(

Modifié par Noelemahc, 03 mai 2012 - 11:14 .

[a.m.p]

I think people who are really uncomfortable with all the praying will not hook up with Thane. Also, and it's very important, you aren't trying to state that this is real in this is what purgatory looks like and this is how the universe works. So no, not overboard for my personal taste. And I really liked the bit with Saren's message.

About Anderson - yes, it definitely needs more clarity™. I'd add something to the prayer to better identify him and then would have Shepard ask if the prayer is for him.

[Noelemahc]

a.m.p wrote...

I think people who are really uncomfortable with all the praying will not hook up with Thane.<...>And I really liked the bit with Saren's message.

About Anderson - yes, it definitely needs more clarity™. I'd add something to the prayer to better identify him and then would have Shepard ask if the prayer is for him.

Ah, I keep forgetting I must be the only gamer on the planet who wants to know all the branches.

Which is why many people didn't even notice that DA2 changes its autodialogue depending on how you play (or that Alpha Protocol changes its autodialogue depending on what class you are, what skills you did and did not invest in and so on) and accused it of linearity.

Also, thanks for the idea, I'll do my best =)

[Orumon]

Noelemahc wrote...

a.m.p wrote...

I think people who are really uncomfortable with all the praying will not hook up with Thane.<...>And I really liked the bit with Saren's message.

About Anderson - yes, it definitely needs more clarity™. I'd add something to the prayer to better identify him and then would have Shepard ask if the prayer is for him.

Ah, I keep forgetting I must be the only gamer on the planet who wants to know all the branches.

Which is why many people didn't even notice that DA2 changes its autodialogue depending on how you play (or that Alpha Protocol changes its autodialogue depending on what class you are, what skills you did and did not invest in and so on) and accused it of linearity.

Also, thanks for the idea, I'll do my best =)

To be fair, as a player, the only problem I had with Alpha protocol were the first mission and the bugs. Yes, I noticed that DA2 changed it's autodialogue on how you conversed. However, DA2 wasn't nearly as bad as ME3 in regard to autodialogue.

[a.m.p]

Noelemahc wrote...

a.m.p wrote...

I think people who are really uncomfortable with all the praying will not hook up with Thane.<...>And I really liked the bit with Saren's message.

About Anderson - yes, it definitely needs more clarity™. I'd add something to the prayer to better identify him and then would have Shepard ask if the prayer is for him.

Ah, I keep forgetting I must be the only gamer on the planet who wants to know all the branches.

I don't think you're the only one, but there definitely aren't many of you. I for one am usually curious about other branches (that's why I honestly enjoy your LI resolutions), but I suffer from this problem with Bioware-style RPGs: I go through it once, figure out who my character is and what their story is and I simply can't play it differently. Not my character, not my story. Does not compute. I never went jedi in KotOR, I have played through Origins twice with the same warden, I've repeatedly tried making different Shepards but I can't get past the first ME1 citadel section. I'm just not invested enough. I think the only instance when I explored every possibility was KotOR2, and that's because that story went places no SW story had gone before.

And about ME3 autodialogue, yeah, you do have to go back to ME1 to understand just how much of it there is.

Modifié par a.m.p, 04 mai 2012 - 09:03 .